


Names

by Drih_Hawkeye (KyraSpring)



Category: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst and Feels, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23149111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyraSpring/pseuds/Drih_Hawkeye
Summary: There was one name that Fenris loved more than anything. And the woman that name belonged to was his entire world. Short story depicting events during the DA2 and DA:I timelines. Hints of other ships.  Possible Inquisition ending spoilers (subtle, but for good measure please only read this if you finished playing the game and Trespasser and/or already knows what goes on)
Relationships: Fenris/Female Hawke
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	Names

“Hawke…”

“Mhmh…”

“Are you awake?”

“Not enough to function. Why?”

“No, it’s just… it’s almost dawn, I should get going.”

“Nooooooo, stay! It’s cold. The bed will get cold without you!”

“I’m not your personal warming stone, you know.”

“Of course you’re not. Warming stones don’t glow. And they also don’t complain.”

“Is that your attempt to keep me here?”

“Is it working?”

“...yes. Of course it is. You’re a manipulative monster.”

Some mornings were better than others. In some mornings, Hawke woke up and Fenris was still there, by her side, staring at her with curiosity and contained awe. It was more common that she woke up to find no one in her bed: he left before sunrise, before any prying eyes could see him and ask questions and say things about her. It wasn’t about his (non-existent) reputation, but about hers: she was a well-known woman, with a degree of influence in circles he had no place in. She never asked him to do it, in fact, she asked more than once for him to stop hiding. But he was adamant. “One day”, he always said. “One day I can stop hiding, but until then, I better stay out of their sights.”

But in some mornings, he stayed for longer. He always woke up before her, but remained silent, staring, watching over her sleep. It was only fair, she always fell asleep after him, and she also remained silent and vigilant as he drifted towards the land of dreams. She loved seeing him asleep, his expression soft and peaceful, a sight so rare and so beautiful. If only she could see that forever…

And in those rare mornings when he decided to not mind others for a second, she had a glimpse of what that life could be. He was warm, his touch was surprisingly gentle and even the silence had some sort of soothing, nice aura. It felt peaceful. It felt like home. And by the Maker, did both of them need it! With lives more than chaotic and violence at their doors, having those short moments of peace was priceless.

And now Fenris was smiling. A small, discrete smile. Merrill said once that if he ever smiled his face could start cracking. Hawke only wished she could see that smile more often.

“So, do we have any plans for today?”, he asked, finally giving up on leaving the bed and deciding instead for snuggling more against her. “Or will we just waste the whole day here?”

“You call it a waste, I call it a strategic retreat”, she answered, laughing. “Besides… your wound from that last fight still haven’t healed completely, right? I saw it yesterday.”

“I’m fine”, he tried to evade the subject. “It’s not too bad, really. It doesn’t hurt too much, and it’s not infected either. Only a few more poultices and it will be completely healed.”

His body was covered in scars. The big lyrium marks were naturally the first ones to catch the eye, but looking past them, there were others, thinner, less bright, less painful. He told her about some of them. The one on the shoulder was a stray arrow, the one on the hip was a slash from his former owner (and every time she heard about him, she felt her stomach turn in disgust and anger), the big one across the back was from an almost lost battle. He didn’t remember the stories of all of them, though. There were too many. And some, the most painful, were too deep within, still out of reach. But she was getting there. One day, maybe, she would be able to help him heal.

“What about you?”, it was his turn to ask. “You’ve taken some heavy hits last time.”

“Eh, you should have seen the other guy”, she shrugged. “I’m trying to be careful, but you know this place. There are ambushes over ambushes. Still, I’m not hiding. Some of those bastards would love it, and I don’t want to give them the satisfaction.”

Hawke was stubborn. Hot-headed. The first to talk too much, and too loud, the first to make a scene, the first to take a stand. Fenris couldn’t tell when exactly he fell for her, but it happened just like that, too loud, too fast, too much. And he wouldn’t want it any other way, he realized. He still thought he was stealing a place that didn’t belong to him, barging into a world that wasn’t his. But… what the hell. As long as she allowed him into her life, he’d be there. He belong to her, not as a slave, but… as a part of her.

It was… a sort of happiness he didn’t think he would ever have. In fact, it was a kind of happiness that he didn’t even know existed. It was quiet, fleeting, visibly fragile… but beautiful, fulfilling.

“Fenris, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while”. She sat on the bed, a playful expression. “Why don’t you call me by my first name? We’ve been together for a while already, the others know about us even with all your bravest efforts to hide it.” He frowned, and she laughed a little before going on.

“Hmm… I don’t really know.” He sat too, staring at her inquisitive eyes on him. “I’ve known you as Hawke, and so did everybody in town. It feels more 'you' than your first name. It's stronger, imponent'.

"And my first name isn't?"

"Not really. It's more gentle.  _ Soft _ . It suits a side of you not everybody knows, one I think  _ you _ don’t want everybody to know."

One side that he loved more than life itself. One that showed up in lazy mornings like that, in restless nights when he, shaken by brutal nightmares, woke up shaking and screaming only to find her holding his hand, humming soothing words of reassurement to remind him that he was there, and he was free, and he was safe. A side that showed itself when she couldn’t fall asleep, burdened by worries and fears, and instead just sat in front of the fireplace, thinking about lost places and lost people and lost hopes. A fragile, wounded side, not all too different from his own. Hawke managed to reunite a broken band of misfits around herself, and she could only do that because she too was broken in her own way. And her other side, the one with her first name… that was the side that somehow was helping them heal.

_ Marian.  _ She kept hidden for the most part, her enemies would love to find her and crush her, but for them, it was  _ Hawke _ . And Hawke knew no mercy for them. 

“Still… I love the way it sounds”, Fenris brushed off a strand of black hair away from her face, gently. “And I love the side of you that carries it. And I hope you never lose it.”

Hawke smiled. As hard as life could be, nothing could take those moments away from her. She was alive, and she was in love, and right now the most beautiful sight was right in front of her. And, according to his own words… he belonged to her. And she, too, belonged to him. She could be Marian around him, even if he didn’t call her that way. 

“Then say it.”, she whispered, her pale blue eyes fixated in his. “Say my name. Please.”

“How can I refuse any request from you…  _ Marian? _ ”, he whispered back, the voice filled with desire and passion. No one could say that name better than him, no one could make it sound more like music. But he didn’t let her say anything, and kissed her, pushing her against the bed again. “But how about… I make  _ you _ say my name instead?”

She smiled, and pulled him to another kiss. None of them would be leaving the house that day, that was for sure.

* * *

“HAWKE? WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS HAWKE?!”

Leliana’s agents had the struggle of their lives trying to contain that man. He seemed completely out of his mind, throwing punches around. They managed to disarm him, but if it wasn’t for the interference of Iron Bull that managed to hold him down for them to immobilize him, there would be blood for sure. But she was doing her best to not have to kill him. One thing was fighting off spies, but him? No, he went through the front door, demanding to see Hawke. The reports about Adamant have already reached her, but she had yet to see the survivors with her own eyes.

“Listen, right now you have at least a dozen arrows pointed to you”, said the leader of the spies, pointing a short sword toward his neck as he was being held against the ground by five other agents. “Sister Nightingale instructed us not to kill you. She’s coming down as we speak, to answer your questions.”

Like she had been summoned, she appeared, the lilac hood unusually pulled back. She recognized the man right away, and a deep sense of pity took over her. She also knew why he was there. With a sigh, she started questioning the man.

“You might remember me, Fenris. We’ve met at the Kirkwall chantry a few years ago. It’s good to see you’re alive and well, but I do wish our meeting happened in happier circumstances.”

“Quit it! Where is Hawke?”. He was using every last ounce of self-restraint to not go out in a murderous rampage. He needed answers, and making a bigger scene would only land him dead, something he couldn’t afford there. Not until he heard about her. “I know you know where she is! Where is she?!”

Leliana knew a lot about Hawke’s companions, having met some of them in the past and investigated all of them thoroughly. She knew Fenris was a man of few words, with a ridiculously high death count. She also knew he was Hawke’s lover, and his actions were understandable. But… she never expected him to be so damn reckless to the point of barging into what was probably the most protected and watched place on Thedas.

“A lot has happened in Adamant”, she chose her words carefully. If he got uncontrollable, she would have to order her spies to take him down, an outcome she would do her best to prevent. “Reports are still unclear, but we’ll have definitive answers soon enough. You don’t have to be our prisoner here, but I am not going to compromise our defenses only to preserve you. You better keep this in mind.”

But Fenris didn’t really care. He could only think about what could have happened. What if she was dead? What if the Inquisition killed her? If that was the case, he would tear the whole place apart. The very idea of living in a world without her was too much for him to bear. He couldn’t think straight, and the only thing that was stopping him at the moment was the notion that he couldn’t die yet, not before destroying the ones responsible for killing her.

“You… you’re Sister Nightingale, right?”, his voice was reduced to an enraged whisper. “Tell me where is Hawke. All I hear are rumors about Adamant. You’ll answer for whatever happens to her!”

“ _ Broody _ ? What the hell are you doing here?!” before Leliana could have a chance to answer, a familiar voice could be heard from the gates. “What did you do this time?”

“Leliana, what’s going on here?” another voice, this one unknown by Fenris, sounded confused and annoyed. “Who is this man?”

“By the Maker, Inquisitor, you finally came back!” Leliana ran to the door. Fenris still couldn’t move, the spymaster’s agents still pining him firmly against the cold stone ground. “We have a lot to discuss, I won’t be able to contain the rumors flying around until I get a report of what really happened there. Are you alright? And you, Varric?”

“I’ll be better once you explain what my friend is doing on the ground with a pile of your spies on him!” It was unusual for Varric to sound so angry. “Andraste’s tits, Fenris, what are you even doing here? Weren’t you hunting slavers in Tevinter or something?”

“Wait, what are you talking about? What is… Fenris?!”

The sound of her voice made Fenris’ head spin. He was only barely aware of his surroundings, as he heard Leliana explaining the situation to Varric and the Inquisitor and ordering her soldiers to step back. And a second later, the familiar voice of a petite woman with short black hair, pale blue eyes falling to her knees by his side and touching his face.

“What are you doing here, you absolute idiot? I can’t take my eyes off you for a minute and you wander off on your own and fuck things up”. There was anger in her voice, for a different reason than her words suggested. She held him tightly right after, fighting back tears, she was so angry that once again he put himself in unnecessary danger over her, and so shocked by what happened in Adamant, and so happy that he was there.

And Fenris was only vaguely aware of all of it. She was alive, and right now, it was all that mattered. All the voices around were unintelligible, the people coming and going through the same doors they were half-blocking were nothing but blurs. After a long second, Fenris managed to return the hug, holding her just as tightly.

“Hawke… they… they were talking about a damn Fade rift inside Adamant, and that you have fallen into it and… and… Marian…” He was trying to be coherent but it was almost impossible. At the mention of her first name, Hawke hid her face on his shoulder, trying to hide tears she couldn’t fight back anymore. “I was so worried that you could be…”

“Shh”, was all she could say. “I’m here. I’m fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you this much. And we won the battle too. I think it will allow us to breathe more freely for now.”

Fenris didn’t care about the battle, or Corypheus, or the Inquisition. At that moment, all he cared about was the fact that Hawke was alive and well, that he didn’t lose her. Something at the back of his head was trying to process the rumors about the Inquisition comitive falling into the Fade and somehow emerging from it in one piece, but those questions could wait a bit more. They  _ had _ to. For now, all he wanted was to make sure she wouldn’t disappear.

Eventually, they got up, trying to regain at least some of their composure, but Fenris refused to leave her side. As the first wave of emotions faded away, he realized the gravity of the situation, as Hawke and the Inquisitor spoke about the bizarre incident at the Adamant fortress. They had too many losses, one of them being Hawke’s warden friend, Alistair. She could be one of them just as easily. Varric was there too, visibly relieved that both of them were alive, despite the string of bad choices that put them in that situation.

“I hope you understand our actions, Fenris”, Leliana sounded harsh. “Keeping the gears of the Inquisition turning is a hard task, and too many want us to fail. We can’t let it happen, for the sake of our people here and in all of Thedas… and also the ones that didn’t make it.”

“Of course I understand”, he managed to return to his old self too. “At least you’re trying to keep some order in this mess of a world. Everybody else failed in it. But when rumors of people falling into the damn Fade itself start going around, there will be reactions.”

“We’re already dealing with it. The others are writing their reports”, explained Leliana. “There will be… a lot of questions to be answered. Hawke can give you all the details. I assume you two won’t be staying around for much longer, right?”

“Yes”. Hawke sounded tired and sad. “I’m going to Weisshaupt. It’s… better if I give them the news in person. I hope I can find lady Cousland too. She needs to know about what happened.”

“Thank you.” Leliana sounded sad as well. “He’d appreciate it.”

Later that day, they left Skyhold. Varric saw them off. He looked older, exhausted. He was still the same smug sarcastic asshole he met years ago at Kirkwall, but something changed. He was, after all, Hawke’s best friend. Fenris could understand how he was feeling, the fear he felt. The silence spoke for itself.

“Hey, you two.” When they were already at Skyhold’s gates, he stopped them. “Just… don’t die, okay? Don’t do stupid shit if you can help it. Please. I’m serious.”

“Varric, aren’t you literally fighting a self-proclaimed God? One we killed in the past that somehow returned and tore a fucking hole in the sky?” Hawke’s voice was half mocking, half understanding. “Shouldn’t  _ we _ be the ones telling you that?”

“Yeah, but it was also you who got thrown into the Fade physically. And you know danger follows you like a mabari. Now we’re dealing with something bigger than anything we’ve faced, something even bigger than the Blight, I think. Just be careful. I’m not willing to lose anyone this time. Especially you.”

“Don’t worry about us, Varric”, Fenris tried to sound gentle. “We’ll be fine. And so will you. Once all of this is over, you’ll be able to go back to Kirkwall and write a ridiculous romance about this whole shit and embarrass us all to the whole world again.”

“You bet I will”, the writer smiled to them. “Now go. Send news when possible, okay?”

They walked in silence for a long time. Fenris didn’t want to ask anything, but the presence of her was overwhelming. He was still in a rush, the fear of losing her still lingering at the back of his mind. He was holding her hand, tightly, trying to come up with the right words. She didn’t say anything as well, and he could feel her hand trembling.

“So… Weisshaupt, huh?”, he finally managed to make the words come out. “It’s a long way from here. We should probably find a-”

A kiss interrupted him. She jumped on him, placing her lips on his, her face wet with tears. It didn’t take long for him to return it, holding her as close as possible. Only in that moment, she allowed herself to fall apart. Her friend dead, her lover almost killed, the world in shambles… and still…

“Marian.” Fenris whispered, gently, holding her. “I’m here. You’re here. You’re safe.”

She didn’t say anything, and instead only sobbed on his shoulder, the weight of what happened crushing her. But hearing her name in his voice kept her grounded. The Fade would haunt her in her nightmares forever, but right now it was powerless. Right now… it wouldn’t be able to touch her. 

“Fenris…” was all she could say, in a broken, trembling voice. Right now, she was Marian, fragile and scared and so, so hurt. Marian was the one he wanted to protect, when Hawke wasn’t available to do it for herself. And right now, Marian needed him, his strength, so Hawke would be able to go on. He kept calling for her, and the sound of his voice calling her name slowly calmed her down, putting away her fears and worries, at least for that moment. 

For her sake, and for his, it would have to be enough. It was all he could do. 

* * *

One arrow wasn’t enough. Neither were two. Or five.

They knew it was a lost battle as soon as they stepped into the battlefield. With the Veil tearing itself apart for good, demons rained from the sky, and Archdemons awakened from their slumber, unleashing a new Blight, one more destructive than all the previous ones. Their last stand, their last chance was a very ambitious plan crafted by the Inquisitor that reunited the best and the brightest in all of Thedas in an elite force to launch one single attack to the source of all evil. 

Reaching the Dread Wolf was a challenge by itself. The Inquisitor planned to take him down, with the aid of Hawke and the hero of Ferelden who returned when the new Blight started. The others - former companions of the three women, with their own armies and allies to even the board as much as possible - tried to open a way to the palace. He knew some of them had fallen already. Aveline held a huge group of demons all by herself to give the others a chance to advance, until she got overpowered by them. Blackwall, one of the Wardens who fought beside the Inquisition, managed to slay one of the Archdemons at the expense of his own life. The mages were trying their best to keep the others alive and healed, but it was an ungrateful task.

And Fenris was giving his all. He focused on keeping the path open to the three leaders of the strike, tearing apart demons and darkspawn that got in their way. His mind was blank: all that mattered was the battle, he refused to think about anything else. He was also aware that Hawke was in danger, much more than him, but if he thought about the battle she was about to face, he would hesitate. And that would be their doom.  _ Her _ doom.

Another companion fell by their side. Cassandra Pentaghast. Followed by Merrill. How many were left…? The gates to the palace were already close, but more and more enemies appeared from all directions. If they managed to cross those gates, it would be a miracle from the heavens.

One more victim in the vanguard. Commander Cullen, who pushed them forward while putting his shield among them and a group of demons. He didn’t last long, and even though he destroyed a great number of monsters, he couldn’t hold them back for too long. The Inquisitor screamed in despair and tried to turn around when he fell, but the Warden pulled her. The gate was so close, so close… they didn’t have the right to die there and put all their sacrifices to waste.

And, soon, they reached their destination. The gates were tightly closed. And the demons wouldn’t let them linger trying to figure out how to open it.

And Fenris was the last one standing. Their last shield.

Hawke and him stood in front of the gate, keeping the monsters away while Cousland and Trevelyan tried to figure out a way to open it. He stared at her for a second. Her magic was powerful, raw and violent, gathering strength from the elements of nature to cause as much destruction as possible. He used to be wary of her magic, even hostile. But now… he saw it as just another part of her, one he was doing his best to understand.

Both of them knew what was about to happen. Both refused to think about it.

Finally, the Inquisitor managed to decipher the enchantment that kept the door locked and opened it. The Warden was the first to go inside, still pulling Trevelyan by the hand. Hawke and Fenris were right behind them, fending off the attacks and trying to march forward.

And then, the first arrow came from afar. And it had Hawke’s name in it.

But it didn’t find her body. Instead, it found Fenris’.

It only took a second. He saw the arrows coming, and swiftly put his own body in front of hers. He flinched with pain, but kept moving forward, pushing the three women.

A second arrow, deeper than the first. He tasted blood. He still kept pushing.

Third. Fourth. Fifth. He could feel his own blood running down his back. His vision started getting blurry. Lethargy started taking over him.

He turned around, focusing all his attention in staying on his feet. The Warden and the Inquisitor started pushing the gates, but before they were closed, one last arrow flew through the air to find Fenris’ chest. The sixth. The one that finally threw him on the ground on his knees. Their last shield, finally broken.

Still… they were inside. His part in the battle was done, now it was all up to the three former heroes of Thedas to, once again, save the world.

He was vaguely aware of the three women running towards him. Their faces were a blur, though, as were their surroundings. He could hear sounds of battle outside, but there were muffled like he was submerged in deep water. Everything seemed weird, misplaced and confusing.

“Can’t you heal him?” He felt a small hand on his chest. near the spot where the last arrow pierced him. “If we could pull out the arrows and you used an enchantment to-”

“That’s not how it works, Trevelyan, and you know it”. Another voice, tired, angry and taken by sadness. “If we just pull the arrows off we won’t be able to contain the bleeding and… Hawke? Hawke, for fuck’s sake, stay with us, we need you right now!”

At the mention of her name, he forced himself to focus. She was staring at him, eyes wide open, filled with such a deep despair he never saw before, trembling lips and an expression frozen in absolute fear. Slowly, he absorbed what was happening. The wounds, the drying blood… their voices… the lack of hers…

“Fenris!” He felt a second pair of hands hold him by the shoulder. Lady Cousland, probably. “Stay with us, okay? We’ll do something, we’ll heal you. Right, Hawke? She’ll heal you. Right? Hawke, please,  _ say something _ !”

So the Hero of Ferelden was a terrible liar. Who could ever tell…?

Hawke remained silent, her eyes still too open, her hands unable to move. And Fenris, unable to help. The taste and smell of blood was overwhelming, in contrast with the fading vision and hearing. He opened his mouth to try and say something, but it was hard to breathe already. But still… he needed it… he needed…

“Hawke....”. His voice could barely be heard. At the mention of her name, Hawke seemed to wake up from her torpor. Her eyes found his, the realization taking over her.

He was going to die. She knew it. And they had too little time.

But… still enough for that loved name. Enough for… enough for…

“Fenris…”, her voice was shaking. “I… I’ll heal you. Just hang in there. See? We got in here! Now we’ll finish this and go home together! I… I…”

She didn’t believe her own words, and it showed. It was clear that she was about to lose it again, to shut down again. And he couldn’t let it happen. He tried to raise his hand and touch her face, but his arm felt so heavy… it took a couple tries, and she ended holding his hand against her cheek.

It was nice. Warm. Gentle. A soft touch in the middle of the literal end of the world.

“Fenris… please…” the tears finally started flowing. He couldn’t see her face anymore, only a black and pale blur with very intense blue spots and a dash of red. He was running out of time, and still had so much to say, but he could barely speak. She needed to know… she need to see…

She needed to be strong. 

And so did he.

Fenris have flirted with death since he could remember. His scars were proof. But ever since he met Hawke, he had a purpose. Not revenge, or mindless violence. In a town filled with thugs, liars, slavers and traitors, she was trying to bring peace, to keep justice in her own way. And he never minded putting his life on the line for her. Especially because she never hesitated in risking hers for her beliefs. Taking sides, even sides he didn’t personally agree with, making difficult choices, and still trying to do what was right. Giving his own name a new meaning, making him a person, making him whole.

It was only natural. His life belonged to her. And he had no regrets. All he had to do was to make sure she would use that new chance wisely to turn the tide in that battle.

But still… he didn’t want to go. Not yet, just… not yet. Just a little longer.

“You know what you have to do”, the words were painful, breathing was getting harder and harder, but he needed her to hear, to understand! “They will not cross this door, but… you… you need to end this quick. The demons, they will… they will…”

“Shhh.” She placed a finger on his lips. The tears still ran freely over her face, but she was now trying her best to keep her composure. “We will. This ends now. I promise.”

“Good”. Fenris smiled, tired and relieved. If only he could see her face properly… he couldn’t move anymore, his body felt limp and heavy and so numb. But her skin was still warm and soft, and the sound of her voice was soothing. If only she knew what she did for him, the purpose she gave him… it was a shame that he couldn’t tell her.

Still… there was one way to make her know.

“Marian.” He tried to put as much strength in that word as possible, to say it as loud and clear as he could. “You will be fine. Take care of them, they’ll need you.”

“Y-yes…”, she nodded. When he said her first name, she felt her heart breaking in a thousand tiny pieces. It was too much, but she couldn’t let it show, she couldn’t make him worry any more about her. She looked around, noticing the pain the eyes of the two women with her. They knew how it felt, the pain of losing a friend, a confidant, a lover. And then, she looked back at Fenris, holding him against her just a little tighter, trying not to touch the arrows. He didn’t deserve any more pain.

They remained in silence for a moment. Fenris wanted to urge them to go on, to leave him, but couldn’t put the words together for it. And Hawke - no, not this time, now it was  _ Marian _ \- wouldn’t leave his side. He wouldn’t leave him alone, not now, not like this. She tried to remember healing spells to no avail: even if she could cast them, she’d need to extract the arrows first, and that alone would kill him. 

And Fenris… his eyelids were so heavy. He was tired. Almost out of time.

“Hawke, they’ll be here at any moment now.” Cousland’s voice was weak and full of pain. “We need to go.”

“Go with them”, he said, wondering if she could even hear him. “Win this battle. Please.”

“I… can’t leave you.” Hawke was sobbing. And the sound of her crying broke Fenris’ heart even more. In the end, he still caused her more pain. “I’ll stay here. I’ll save you!”

No. It must  _ stop _ . She was Hawke, she was a hero, and right now, she was needed to save the world once again.

She was the woman he loved. The woman who gave his life a meaning.

And to end it in her arms… that was a blessing in itself.

Fenris wasn’t sure about what was on the other side. Was it the Fade? The one shaped by dreams and memories, or the real one, distorted and fueled by fear? Or, maybe, somehow, there was a good place somewhere out there. He vaguely remembered Sebastian - where was he now? - talking about it, when he explained about his religion. It would be nice if it was true.

“They need you. Go. It’s okay.” He tried to smile, remembering, once again, about how Merril joked about his face cracking. How long has it been…? Now she was gone as well. All of them were. Only Hawke remained, alone, in pain. He wished he could take her pain away, but… she would have to be strong, even alone. Once more.

“Fenris…” he could barely hear her voice, choked by the tears. She still held his hand against her face. So beautiful… so marvelous.

“I’m so proud of you, Marian.” Another smile. The words, somehow, came off easier than ever. He knew what he wanted to say. Even if… his voice was also almost a whisper… and it was so hard to stay awake… but she… needed to know… she needed to… know… “I… I will always love you… in this life… in the next… always.”

And as he consciousness drifted away, as his heart stopped beating, as the glowing blue marks faded away and turned white and dim, the image he took to the next life, the one reflected in his still open eyes was the face of the one woman he loved more than life itself. The face of Hawke, the hero, the Champion of Kirkwall… but… much more than that, the face of Marian.

And, to Fenris, that was the most beautiful name that ever existed.

**Author's Note:**

> Welp. That was a ride haha :"D I have a hard time writing in English (well, actually writing *in general* lately, finishing this story took me months). FenHawke is my weak spot, and making my OTPs suffer is a hobby. The final part is an idea I have for what will happen with the Dread Wolf rising again: the veil torn apart, demons, a new Blight, like we saw in that alternate future during In Hushed Whispers. I may or may not dream of seeing my girls Cousland, Hawke and Trevelyan kicking ass together one day hahaha. Anyway, thanks for reading, leave any kind of comments, criticism, advice, anything.


End file.
